Feedback Strategies

Feedback is important in this era and often underestimated. The first important article I read was Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise?. In the work place, managers have this mindset that they are doing the right thing with negative feedback, rather than praising their workers for doing the right thing. Sincere praise will go a long way in productivity and morale. The next article I read was Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!". The most important takeaway I got from this article was that excessively saying good job created praise junkies who will never find more pleasure in life than from this easy way out. It is a habit that almost everyone has, but can be overcome.

(Feedback: pixabay)

Topic Research: Tragic Love Story

Story Idea One: Pramadvara and Ruru
My first idea is to rewrite the love story of Pramadvara and Ruru through the eyes of a more modern day love tragedy. I would take Ruru's love at first sight take and rewrite it into a more current century story.

Story Idea Two: Savitri and Satyavan
The love story of Savitri and Satyavan is a really interesting one. Savitri is a loyal wife and protects her husband from the god of death, Yama. I could write a story about a fiercely devoted wife who protects her whole family from death in a superhero type fashion.

Story Idea Three: Shakuntala and Dushyant
My final idea for the story is to write about Shakuntala and Dushyant. I found this story interesting due to the spells cast and shock factor. Although it has a happy ending, it was a bit rocky in the middle.


(Pramadvara: sreenivasarao)

Week 3 Story: The Wild Bear

Author's Note: For my story, I based it off the story of Shurpanakha and Rama. In my story, there are three characters and a bear. This first character is Paul (Rama), the second Matthew (Lakshmana), and the third character is Olivia (Sita). The bear in my story portrays Shurpanakha. These three characters are in the woods on a camping trip, when they are attacked by a bear. This light tale is based off the story of Shurpanakha meeting Rama for the first time, which ends in heartbreak.

The Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, verse Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India

It was a sunny afternoon in Colorado along the Rocky Mountains, when Paul, Matthew and Olivia decided to go on camping trip. Paul and Matthew were two brothers that had been close all their lives. Paul was the oldest and at 26, was married to Olivia. As they were hiking along the trails with all their gear, they saw so many beautiful sights. From the river streaming below the mountain, to the deer drinking from the lake, there was natural beauty all around them. As they neared the camping ground, the excitement built. Once they arrived, they pulled out their tents and began to set up their camping site. Olivia was so excited she could not stop running around and talking at a million words per minute. Paul, the more quiet of the two, was busy at work setting up the tent. Matthew was being his easy go self and cracking jokes at everything. They fished in the river for their dinner and cooked the fish over a warm fire. The smell of the cooking fish dispersed throughout the forest, and it wasn't too hard for a hungry bear to pick up on the scent. This wasn't any average bear though, this was a hungry mamma bear looking for food for her cubs. So as the bear approached the camp, she got louder and louder. Paul, Matthew and Olivia heard this bear coming from a mile away, and they needed to think of a get away plan quick. Paul remembered that he had packed a tranquilizer bow and arrow set in his camping gear, so he instructed Olivia and Matthew to hide in the bush while he attempted to subdue the bear. Even one shot would slow the bear down so they could escape. As the bear came nearer, Paul focused his arrow on the approaching sound and when the bear came through the trees, he shot the arrow straight into the arm of the bear. As the bear fell down to take a quick nap, Paul, Olivia and Matthew grabbed as much of their stuff that they could and booked it out of there.


(Rama, Sita and Lakshmana: wikipedia)

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part B

I became really interested into the story of Shurpanakha after reading a few entries about her. In Shurpanakha and Rama, written by Donald Mackenzie. Shurpanakha was a man eater that was cursed with hideous looks and forced to live in the jungle. The moment Shurpanakha saw Rama, she fell in love. Shurpanakha decided that she would change her form into someone more beautiful in order to steal Rama away from Sita. Shurpanakha introduced herself into a beautiful young women and approached Rama, where he introduced himself as well. Shurpanakha told Rama she had chosen him as her husband and was needed to help rule over her great empire. Rama told her no, that he was in love with Sita, but that his brother Lakshmana was in need of a bride. Shurpanakha became enraged and spoke of how she would come to destroy the weak human Sita and take her husband. Rama heard this chant and repeated that Lakshman was in need of a wife and had a lot of love to give.

The next story involving Shurpanakha that caught my eye was Lakshmana and Shurpanakha also written by Donald Mackenzie. From the start of this story, we learn that Shurpanakha runs away from Rama and goes to Lakshmana. Lakshmana instantly starts making fun of Shurpanakha and this totally enrages her. She goes to attack Sita in a blind furry in which Rama pushes her away. Lakshmana pulls out his sword and cuts off the nose and ears of Shurpanakha, so as she runs away she's screaming at the top of her lungs. Shurpanakha runs to her brother Khara, who, surprise surprise, becomes infuriated when he sees his sister bleeding. Shurpanakha told her brother that Rama and Lakshmana attacked her because she wanted to drink Sita's blood and then asked her brother to bring her Sita. Khara instructed fourteen rakshasas, the man eaters, to go get the three people living in the jungle, but none of them returned as they had been killed by Rama and his celestial arrows. Khara calls upon an army to come along with him as they go and kill Rama. As the rakshasas approached, Rama knew something had to be done. The last part I am a little confused about, I believe Rama cuts off Sita's nose and ears so he can protect her life and be even with Shurpanakha.


(Shurpanakha: wikimedia)

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

The biggest storyline that connected with me was the story of Dasharatha. From beginning to end, he seemed a genuine character that had true love for his kingdom and his family. He wanted to continue his legacy and have a few sons that he could nurture into true kings. The first story is King Dasharatha, as all the stories I will be taking notes about are by Donald Mackenzie. In the King Dasharatha, we get our first look at his character in these stories. As king of Koshala, he needed a son to take over his thrown once he died. The capital of this kingdom was Ayodhya. He had three queens, Kayshalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra.

The next story that is key in Dasharatha's story is Kaikeyi and Dasharatha. This story is key in the overall storyline of Dasharatha. Since Kaikeyi is Dasharatha's wife, you would think she would be loving and stand by his side through everything. This is sadly, not true. Kaikeyi tricks the Dasharatha into vowing to grant two of her wishes. The first, is that her son Bharata be appointed the Yuvarajah, which is the heir to the thrown. The next wish is that he banaish Rama, his other son, to the woods for fourteen years. Dasharatha has no other option than to grant these wishes, which truly upset him. Rama was the shining son destined to take over the thrown, so Kaikeyi was jealous. This leads to a series of adventures along the road.

Lastly, Dasharatha's Death is the final story in the Dasharatha's lifetime. Dasharatha's favorite sons were, in my opinion, Rama and Lakshman. Rama was his eldest son and destined for the thrown, while Lakshman was a loyal son he respected. In some of his final moments, he scolds Queen Kaikeyi for sending his innocent children into the forest. Rama's mother, Kaushalya, came to Dasharatha after Rama's department and blamed him for lying to everyone about Rama being the next king. Dasharatha was so overcome with grief that he passed away while his spirit left the physical world.


(King Dasharatha grieving over banishment of Rama: wikimedia)